This is a new series of posting, appearing every Sunday, on selected Estate Folders from the Estate files of Chesterfield County. No known estates exist for the period before the Civil War. They were destroyed with the burning of the Courthouse. There are a few “Equity Records” in the State Archives. Do not overlook this valuable resources if you are looking for ancestors in Chesterfield County, South Carolina.
Today we will be looking at the following Estate folder:
Folder #109
William R. Sellers1
The estate folder begins at image 555. There are 18 images within the estate folder. (images 555-572)
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-19384-44866-53?cc=1911928
William Riley Sellers was born abt 1823, a son of Roland Sellers and Margaret Eddins. I thought this post was going to be easy but once I got into the Probate file I realized my research was not complete.
There are eight William R. Sellers in my database. The administrator of probate file #109 was Richard Calvin Sellers so this narrows the candidates to either his brother William Riley or his son William Riley.
Looking at his son’s death date of 1947 eliminates him because the probate took place in 1862; but, I have his brother William Riley Sellers death recorded as 23 March 1865.
Obviously, something is amiss here. If William Riley Sellers died in 1865 his brother would not be administrating his estate in 1862. So off I go to Fold3.com to reviews civil war records. Looking at my genealogical database I see that I have three William R. Sellers of age to serve in the Civil War; but, only two died in the Civil War.
- William Riley Sellers, b. abt 1823, son of Roland Sellers and Margaret Sellers
- William Riley Sellers, b. abt 1822, son of William Eddins Sellers and Elizabeth Parsons.
- William R. Sellers, b. abt 182, son of John Sellers and Henrietta Norwood. This William R. moved to Tennessee and died in September 1898.
First, we know that the estate of William Riley Sellers was probated between September 1862 and 19 Aug. 1885. The probate file shows this William Riley’s brother Richard Calvin was named as administrator and documents within the probate files shows that he started the probate process on or about 30 September 1862.
Image 558 2
Then from the Civil war files on Fold3.com we find this record for a William R. Sellers 3- https://www.fold3.com/image/20/73893261
Pvt. William R. Sellers, Co. B, 8th SC Infantry
Only 6 documents are recorded in this file. the record shows that William R. Sellers, enlisted 13 April 1861, admitted to Chimborazo Hospital No. 3, Richmond, Virginia on April 9, 1862 (pg 5) and page 6 shows his transfer on May 20th, 1862 to Winder Hospital, Richmond, Virginia. 4
It is between this date 20 May 1862 (to Winder Hospital) and 30 September 1862 (Image 558, Estate Folder) that William Riley Sellers passed away. No document has been found documenting his actual death date but it seems obvious it had to have occurred between these two dates (20 May 1862-30 Sept. 1862).
Two interesting tidbits regarding this W. R. Sellers. “Broken Fortunes” by Randolph W. Kirkland, Jr. shows that he died May 11, 1862. A FindAGrave Memorial (FAG Memorial# 93886626) in the Hollywood cemetery also shows that W. R. Sellers died on 11 May 1862. 5 6
These two items, the Book and the Memorial are "Derivative records" and is consider to be secondary information.
On 19 August 1885, Richard Calvin Sellers petitioned the Courts to settle the estate of William Riley Sellers. Heirs apparent to the estate can be found on Image 572.
Office of
*JUDGE*OF*PROBATE*
Chesterfield County
Chesterfield, C. H. , S. C. Aug. 19th 1885
Richard C. Sellers, Admr of Estate of William R. Sellers.
To D. M. Barrentine, Judge of Probate for Chesterfield County
The Petition of the undersigned showeth that he is administrator of the Estate of William R. Sellers deceased and that he has settled the Estate in full with all of the Heirs as per voucher in his possession and that he now prays to be discharged from all liabilities as Administrator of Said Estate.
R. C. Sellers
We have a dilemma; I calculated from copies of original documents that William Riley Sellers died between 20 May 1862 and 30 Sept 1862. A FindAGrave memorial and the book “Broken Fortunes” shows this individual passed away on 11 May 1862. No war record exist after page 6 stating that William R. Sellers was “Transf’d to Camp Winder, May 20th”.
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[1] "South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-19384-44866-53?cc=1911928 : accessed 02 June 2014), Chesterfield > Probate Court, Estate records > 1865-1927 > Cases 0088-0152 > image 555 of 1495; county courthouses, South Carolina, and South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia.
[2] Ibid. Image 558
[3] https://www.fold3.com/image/20/73893261
[4] Ibid.
[5] Randolph W. Kirkland Jr., Broken Fortunes: South Carolina Soldiers, Sailors and Citizens Who Died in the Service of Their Country and State in the War for Southern Independence, 1861-1865 (Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina, 1997), page 312.
[6] Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 27 February 2014); Memorial page for William R Sellers; (Unk-11 May 1862); Find a Grave memorial # 93886626, Citing Hollywood Cemetery; Richmond, Richmond City, Virginia, USA.
